One of the Houston Texans‘ initial moves this NFL offseason was making an upgrade to their running back room in the form of acquiring David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions, swapping a fourth and seventh-round pick along with Juice Scruggs to acquire the veteran runner.
It marks a clear investment from the Texans’ front office in bringing their offense a step forward next season. Montgomery, an experienced and proven back who’s coming off three successful seasons in Detroit, should come in as an instant spark for the backfield next to Woody Marks, and even claim a bulk of the carries throughout the year, so long as he stays healthy.
Montgomery’s former head coach, Dan Campbell, also appears to agree with the sentiment that the Texans got a huge upgrade in the backfield, who spoke for the first time about the trade during the NFL’s annual owners’ meetings in Arizona.
“Love David Montgomery. He’s a stud,” Campbell said on Monday, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. “He’s unbelievable. We had a conversation after [the season], and felt like this was something that was going to be good for both sides.”
“This gave David an opportunity to be the bellcow, and we got some value back. I love David, he’s a freaking pro, man… So, he will be missed, but I think the Houston Texans are going to be very happy with the back they just got. I think he makes them better.”
PHOENIX — #Lions coach Dan Campbell on new #Texans RB1 David Montgomery @KPRC2 https://t.co/uLBbHFsPNo pic.twitter.com/fbmvEBj4mH
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 30, 2026
A bittersweet deal from Campbell’s perspective; one that ships out a beloved veteran after being a core piece of their offense for multiple seasons, but also gives both sides what they wanted in the end despite parting ways.
And now, the Texans will be the ones to reap the rewards from what he brings to the table on the field, which could be a massive benefit for their aspired upgrades on the offensive side of the ball in 2026.
What Are Texans Getting in David Montgomery?
If all goes as planned, the Texans will be able to fill in Montgomery as their next bellcow in the room to slot above Woody Marks on the depth chart, and could even claim a role similar to what Joe Mixon saw in his lone 2024 season with Houston.
Montgomery is coming off a year in which he logged his lowest numbers as a pro. He had a career-low 158 carries for 716 yards and eight touchdowns, paired with 24 receptions for 192 reception yards.
Perhaps there could be an argument that the Texans should be concerned about what they’re getting in their tenured veteran back entering his age-29 season, coming off two straight years of declining numbers. But in reality, those same concerns could be a bit overblown.
When factoring in his declining share of reps amid the emergence of Jahmyr Gibbs, it’s easy to connect the dots as to why those numbers saw a dip, and could be reason to believe in a re-emergence with his new situation in H-Town as the lead back and primary candidate for goal line opportunities.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) runs against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) and defensive tackle Broderick Washington (96) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Behind a reinforced offensive line, the Texans will also have the ability to support their run game better than what was seen last season, leading to a bottom-12 turnout amongst the NFL for rushing yards per game, and tied for second-last in the NFL for total rushing touchdowns as a team.
If Campbell’s comments are a hint of what’s to come for the Texans’ new running back, then this offense could have a big 2026 campaign in store, and much more success on the ground.